Flea Infestations are the most common parasite problem of dogs and cats in our area. It is estimated that American pet owners spend over 500 million dollars each year on flea products most of which do not work! During the past few years much research has centered on studying the life cycle of the species of fleas that attack dogs and cats in an effort to develop better flea control methods. There are over 2,000 species of fleas, but few actually attack dogs and cats. Prevention is the key! Prevention is much, much cheaper than trying to eradicate fleas from your home. Call All Creatures to consult with our staff on how to prevent fleas from irritating your pets and biting your family members!
Flea Facts
90 percent of life cycle is OFF pet.
Fleas prefer blood of dogs and cats instead of people but will bite humans when starved
Fleas have well-developed hind legs and are capable of jumping 16-36 inches.
Fleas can survive freezing and can survive without a blood meal for up to 17 months.
Female fleas may lay 500-5,000 eggs during her lifetime.
Best breeding conditions for fleas to multiply are 65° to 80°F.
Fleas carry many diseases, such as Bubonic Plague, Tapeworms, and bacterial infections.
Fleas cause many skin allergies, as well as anemia from sucking blood from its victim.
Adult fleas live an average of 6 months to 1 year. Flea eggs are white, and hatch in about one week into a white larva that can mature into an adult flea in as little as 3 weeks.
Fleas are very susceptible to dry weather conditions. Fleas are non-existent in some very dry areas of the United States.
Tick Facts
Best control is cutting grass low, and a Preventic flea collar applied by April 1st.
Dips will kill, but won’t prevent ticks from getting on your dog.
Pull off when found on dog with tweezers, wash hands – won’t damage skin (buried heads will work out by themselves).
American dog ticks carry rocky mountain spotted fever in this area.
Can also cause tick paralysis. Lyme disease is rarely seen in Clermont county.
Frontline TopSpot or Spray is effective to control
All Creatures flea and tick control protocol
Flea and tick prevention should be used year round in Cincinnati/Clermont County.
All Creatures recommends Trifexis/Advantage Multi for dogs combined with a preventic or scalibor collar. You can also use heartgard/frontline or heartgard/vectra 3D.
Preventic and Scalibar collars are one of the most effective protection against ticks. They must be used together with a flea product as they only protect against ticks.
We do not endorse over-the-counter flea and tick products. They can be unsafe and are ineffective.
Ferrets and rabbits with fleas can be treated effectively also with Frontline spray.
Flea and tick preventatives
Revolution is a liquid that is placed between the animal’s shoulder blades once per month. It does not wash off. It also prevents heartworms, hookworms, and ear mites. It can be used on puppies, kittens, dogs, and cats. We recommend revolution for all of our feline patients.
Frontline TopSpot is a liquid that is placed between the animal’s shoulder blades once per month. It also kills ticks. Fleas are killed in a matter of hours. It is gentle enough to be used on dogs, cats, puppies and kittens
Frontline Spray is a spray bottle that is applied 1-2 pumps per pound of body weight for cats, dogs, ferrets, and rabbits. It is applied once per month and is very economical for multi-cat households.
Capstar is a pill that is given to kill all the fleas on an animal within a few minutes. It is great for infested boarding, grooming, and surgery animals. It only works for 24 hours and must be followed by another type of flea prevention such as Frontline.
Vectra 3D is a topical flea and tick preventative that is placed between the shoulder blades every 30 days. It does not wash off, and is highly effective against fleas and ticks.
Dr. Dan Meakin is the owner of All Creatures Animal Hospital, 1894 Ohio Pike in Amelia. Call (513) 797-PETS.